Pregnancy

What you eat while you are pregnant is very important.To eat well during pregnancy you must do more than simply increase how much you eat. You must also consider what you eat.You need about 300 extra calories a day especially later in your pregnancy. Those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby's growth and development. It has often been said that a pregnant woman should eat for two people, but this is not true. What is true is that during pregnancy a woman has to provide good nutrition for two individuals. The growing baby gets all its nourishment from its mother through the umbilical cord, so diet is very important. If the mother is lacking in any vitamins and nutrients her baby might lack them too. When you are pregnant you should make sure you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Fresh, chilled, frozen, canned or dried, fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. A piece of fruit, a portion of vegetables (not including potatoes), a glass of fruit or vegetable juice, and even a 'smoothie', will all count towards one of your five a day goal. However it is important that you keep the five items varied, so five of the same thing does not count. Bread, rice, pasta and potatoes are carbohydrates and are satisfying, making you feel fuller for longer and providing you with energy. However, if you eat too many of these you may put on excess weight during your pregnancy. Wholegrain versions are especially nutritious and the fibre helps to prevent constipation. Protein based foods are an important part of your daily diet. Lean meat, fish (twice a week, including oily fish once), eggs, cheese, beans and pulses give you protein and important minerals like iron and zinc. Dairy foods like milk, yogurt and cheese contain calcium but can be high in fat, so it is worth considering lower-fat varieties if you are concerned about excess weight gain, as they are just as nourishing. Sugary and fatty foods are more likely to add excess weight because they are high in calories and have very little nutritional value, but they will add pleasure and choice to your diet as long as they are eaten in sensible amounts. There are alont of dont's when your pregnant. Caffeine is a stimulant found in colas, coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, and some over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Large quantities of caffeine can cause irritability, nervousness and insomnia as well as low birth-weight babies. Caffeine is also a diuretic and can rob your body of valuable water. There is no safe time during pregnancy for you to drink alcohol. There is also no known safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. When you are pregnant and you drink beer, wine, hard liquor, or other alcoholic beverages, alcohol gets into your blood. The alcohol in your blood gets into your baby's body through the umbilliacal cord. Alcohol can slow down the baby's growth, affect the baby's brain, and cause birth defects. The increased demand for minerals and vitamins during pregnancy can be satisfied by an adequate, varied, and balanced diet. Attention should be paid to folic acid, calcium, and iron in particular, since these are often deficient.Not taking folic acid increases the posibility of a neural tube defect, which are defects in the development in the spinal cord. Women who do not get enough folic acid may increse risk of misscarrige,cleft lip and palate, limb defects, and certain types of heart defects in their babies.You can also get folic acid from food sources like citrus fruits such as orange juice, beans, bread, cerial and rice. However a daily vitamin may still be reccomended since the foods mentioned above may not have enough folic acid to meet the daily requirements.The demand for iron, essential for blood formation, is also increased during pregnancy because the mother's blood volume increases, and the fetal red blood cells have to be developed. Iron is available in meat, fish, egg yolk, whole-grain products, and vegetables. Iron of plant origin is not as well assimilated as iron of animal origin. However, if you ingest vitamin C from raw food during the same meal, iron is more easily absorbed.

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